How Well Does Dominoes Rate as a Strategy Game?
According to a post on listverse.com (Top 20 Greatest Strategy Games), Dominoes is the 20th-best strategy game of all time:
The game features bones (tiles) with a number of pips on them. Players match them up trying to empty their hands by matching one of the numbers with one of the free numbers on the table. Dominoes are also noted for being able to stand on end in long rows so that when one is knocked over they all fall in a row. A popular pasttime is lining up hundreds or thousands of dominoes to make designs when they fall.
OK …
Some domino games are purely mechanical, other can be quite strategic. Which dominoes game is the poster referring to? Doesn’t say.
The number one, most strategic game in the world, according to this list? Poker.
Uh, yeah.
What do you think? How should Dominoes rate in the pantheon of strategic games?
Dominoes Info
I checked out the list and I think the list is pretty good. It’s hard to argue with games like Go and Chess. I’m sure many people would ask why other games like Backgammon aren’t on there, but it’s very hard to narrow it down to 20 games. There are so many Domino games with so much variation in the balance between luck and strategy that the author should have mentioned some of the more strategic games. Referring to Dominoes as a game is like referring to Cards or Dice as a game. I don’t think the average person realizes how strategic Domino games like 42 are. I think most people’s Domino experience in the United States is some form of Block or maybe Fives up.
As far as Poker being strategic, the author does specify Texas Hold ‘Em which is very different from the “classic” Five Card Stud of the cowboy movies. No Limit “Hold ‘Em” has several levels of deep strategy and has become synonymous with “Poker” even though there are many types of “Poker”. Certainly a Domino player can’t think a game is not strategic simply because there is some luck involved.
Comment by Gabriel — January 2, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
As a domino player I’ll admit that I’m going to be bias. But in 5 up the actual depth of strategy is insane. Over the years I’ve played many many games and I’ve learned that there is no bad dominoes, just bad players. I found a good article on the strategy that goes into the game that sums it up quite well. Pokerandchess.com look under domino strategy and you’ll get a little insight as to why it’s number 20.
Comment by Mydus29 — March 4, 2010 @ 12:13 am